Free 5-Day Holiday Prep Challenge: Less Stress, More Joy, and Healthier Habits

The holidays are almost here! And while I absolutely love Thanksgiving and Christmas, let’s face it. This time of year can get a little crazy!

Between shopping, cooking, decorating, family gatherings, and everything else on our calendars, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

And do you know what often gets pushed to the bottom of our to-do lists?

Taking care of ourselves!

That’s exactly why I created this FREE 5-Day Holiday Prep Challenge!

I want to help you get a few things in place before the holiday craziness really begins. Not by adding more to your already full plate, but by doing five simple things that will make the coming weeks a little easier.

Whether you’re following Trim Healthy Mama, working on healthier habits, or simply trying to make the holidays less stressful, this challenge is for you.

And I have two FREE printables to help you along the way!

What Is the 5-Day Holiday Prep Challenge?

This is a five-day challenge designed to help you prepare for the busy holiday season without putting yourself last.

We’re not going to spend five days dieting, counting calories, or trying to do everything perfectly.

Instead, we’re going to focus on practical preparation.

Just five small steps that can make a difference when life gets busy.

Our challenge runs November 2–6, 2026!

We’ll be working through each day’s challenge together on my Facebook page.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Day 1: Make Room for Yourself
• Day 2: Stock Your Backups
• Day 3: Give Your Future Self Dinner
• Day 4: Plan Your Holiday Favorites
• Day 5: Make Your Busy Week Plan

You can participate at your own pace, and you don’t have to purchase anything to join.

Get Your Free Holiday Prep Printables!

I’ve created two printable options because I know we all like to plan a little differently.

Free One-Page Holiday Prep Checklist

If you’re someone who likes keeping things simple, this one is for you!

The checklist includes all five daily challenges, space to jot down your plans, and checkboxes to mark each task complete.

Print it, tuck it into your planner, or hang it on your refrigerator!

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Free 5-Day Holiday Prep Mini Workbook

Want a little more room to think things through?

I’ve also created a five-page mini workbook with one page for each challenge.

Each day includes helpful questions, planning space, and a simple action step.

You don’t need both printables. Choose whichever one works best for you!

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Day 1: Make Room for Yourself

Ladies, before we start planning meals, shopping lists, and holiday gatherings, I want us to think about something important.

Where do YOU fit into your holiday plans?

I know how easy it is to spend all our time making sure everybody else has what they need.

And there’s nothing wrong with loving and serving our families!

But taking care of ourselves matters too.

Maybe you need to make time for a morning walk, reading your Bible, preparing a nourishing breakfast, or getting to bed a little earlier.

It doesn’t have to be complicated.

Today’s Challenge: Choose one thing that supports your health or well-being and make room for it on your calendar.

Even 10–15 minutes can make a difference.

The goal isn’t to create a perfect schedule. It’s to be intentional about not putting yourself last.

Day 2: Stock Your Backups

Have you ever had one of those days when nothing goes according to plan?

You get home late, everyone is hungry, and you realize you haven’t thought about dinner.

Yep. Been there! 😂

That’s why having backup foods available is so important, especially during the holidays.

I’m not talking about spending an entire weekend meal prepping.

I’m talking about keeping a few easy foods on hand so you can put together something nourishing without a lot of effort.

THM-Friendly Backup Food Ideas

Some of my favorites include:

• Frozen cooked chicken or browned ground beef
• Canned chicken or tuna
• Eggs and egg whites
• Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt
• Frozen vegetables
• Frozen cauliflower rice
• Canned beans for E meals
• Protein powder for quick smoothies
• Ingredients for easy crockpot meals
• A few prepared freezer meals

Having a few of these available can make the difference between feeling completely unprepared and having dinner on the table without much stress.

Today’s Challenge: Choose three backup foods or meals you want to keep on hand.

Check your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. Add anything you’re missing to your grocery list.

BAM! You’ve just made life a little easier for your future self!

Day 3: Give Your Future Self Dinner

I think this might be my favorite day!

Because there’s nothing quite like getting home after a long day and remembering that dinner is already taken care of.

I love using my crockpot and freezer meals to make busy evenings easier.

And with the holidays approaching, having a few dinners ready can be a lifesaver!

Easy Ways to Get Dinner Ahead

You don’t have to prepare an entire month’s worth of meals.

Start with just one!

You could:

• Double tonight’s dinner and freeze half.
• Put together a crockpot freezer meal.
• Cook extra taco meat for another night.
• Prepare shredded chicken to use in several meals.
• Make a casserole for the freezer.
• Chop vegetables and portion ingredients for an easy dinner.

Even preparing part of a meal can save you time later.

Today’s Challenge: Prepare one dinner, protein, or meal component that will make an upcoming busy evening easier.

It doesn’t have to be fancy.

Sometimes the simplest preparation makes the biggest difference.

Day 4: Plan Your Holiday Favorites

Let’s talk about holiday food!

Thanksgiving and Christmas come with some wonderful traditions, and food is often a big part of those memories.

Maybe you look forward to your grandmother’s dressing, a favorite pie, sweet potato casserole, or Christmas cookies.

I don’t believe we need to spend the entire holiday season feeling deprived or guilty about food.

But I do think planning ahead can help us make choices we’re happy with.

Enjoying Holiday Foods While Following Trim Healthy Mama

One of the things I love about Trim Healthy Mama is that we have so many delicious options.

You can make wonderful holiday meals and desserts that fit the plan!

I already have several holiday recipes on my blog, including:

• Low Carb Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
• Low Carb Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel
• Pecan-Crust Pumpkin Pie
• Easy Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce and Pecans
• Sugar-Free Holiday Coffee Drinks
• Low Carb Holiday Desserts

You can choose THM-friendly versions of your favorites, enjoy some traditional family recipes, or do a combination of both.

The important thing is to make your choices intentionally rather than getting caught off guard.

Today’s Challenge: Write down the holiday foods you most look forward to.

Decide which ones you want to make THM-friendly and which traditions you want to enjoy as they are.

Remember, one meal doesn’t determine your entire journey.

What matters is what you do consistently over time.

Day 5: Make Your Busy Week Plan

We’ve made it to Day 5!

So far, we’ve made room for ourselves, stocked our backups, prepared a dinner for later, and planned our holiday favorites.

Now it’s time to put everything together!

I want you to think about one of your busiest upcoming weeks.

Maybe you have family visiting, Christmas shopping, church activities, work commitments, or several things happening at once.

How can you make that week a little easier?

Four Things to Include in Your Busy Week Plan

1. Simple meals

Choose a few easy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that don’t require a lot of time or effort.

2. Movement

You may not have time for your regular workout routine, and that’s okay.

A walk, a few minutes of movement at home, or some intentional activity throughout the day can help you stay consistent.

3. Time for yourself

Remember what we talked about on Day 1?

Protect a little time for something that supports your physical, mental, or spiritual well-being.

4. A backup plan

What will you do when things don’t go according to plan?

Maybe it’s pulling a meal from the freezer, making a quick protein-rich dinner, or adjusting your workout schedule.

Having a backup plan means you don’t have to abandon everything when life gets busy.

Today’s Challenge: Make a simple plan for one busy week.

You don’t need to plan every minute. Just put a few things in place to make that week easier.

Enter to Win a Free Month of THM Group Coaching!

I also have something fun planned for everyone participating in our challenge!

One woman will win a FREE month of November Trim Healthy Mama group coaching, a $27 value!

During November, my coaching group includes practical THM guidance, live coaching videos, encouragement, accountability, and opportunities to ask questions.

I’ve followed Trim Healthy Mama for more than 14 years, and as a Certified THM Coach, I love helping women figure out how to make this way of eating work in real life.

How the Holiday Prep Challenge Giveaway Works

You’ll have the opportunity to earn one entry for each day’s challenge you participate in, up to five entries total.

• Follow the daily challenge posts on my Facebook page.
• Complete each day’s simple challenge.
• Leave a comment on that day’s post sharing what you accomplished.
• Earn up to five entries during the week.

The giveaway closes Friday, November 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.

I’ll randomly select a winner on Saturday, November 7, 2026.

No purchase is necessary. Please review the official giveaway rules for eligibility, an alternative entry method, and complete details.

[READ THE OFFICIAL GIVEAWAY RULES]

This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.

You Don’t Have to Wait Until January

I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make during the holidays is convincing ourselves that we’ll just start over in January.

We tell ourselves we’re too busy, there are too many gatherings, or it’s simply not a good time to focus on our health.

But here’s the thing.

You don’t have to do everything perfectly to keep moving forward.

You can enjoy Thanksgiving.

You can enjoy Christmas.

You can make wonderful memories with your family.

And you can still take care of yourself along the way!

That’s what this challenge is all about.

Five simple steps. A little preparation. And hopefully a holiday season that feels a little less overwhelming.

Join Me for the Free 5-Day Holiday Prep Challenge!

I’d love for you to join us!

Challenge Dates: November 2–6, 2026
Cost: FREE
Where: Jennifer Overstreet’s Facebook Business Page
Free Resources: One-page checklist and five-page mini workbook
Giveaway: A chance to win November THM group coaching

Download your free printables, follow along on Facebook, and come share your progress with us!

Remember, this isn’t about perfection.

It’s about making small, intentional choices that help you enjoy the holidays while continuing to work toward your goals.

We’re in this together! ❤️

—Jennifer

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